4 Keys to Teaching Your Children the Importance of Conservation

Published Jan 25, 2017

Teaching your children how conservation and sustainability efforts will impact their lives is crucially important to the long-term survival of humanity. Here are a few ways you can teach them early on about the importance of conservation.

More and more
people are starting to appreciate the value of conservation and causing as
little harm as possible to the planet. It’s especially important to teach these
lessons to the next generation. Children, when given the right information, are
usually eager to embrace a green approach to living. It’s up to parents and
other adults, however, to instill this knowledge in kids at an early age. Here
are four important keys to teaching your children the value of conservation.

Encourage Them to Appreciate Nature

Whether you
live in the city, country or suburbs, there are ways to help your kids
appreciate the natural world. When you have family outings, think about going
on a hike or to the nearest beach rather than to a mall, arcade or movie. These
outings can be used to introduce your kids, and maybe even yourself to the
plants, minerals and animals in your region. You can also keep this in mind
when planning vacations.

Travel to
destinations that offer landscapes you can explore together. You can do this in
your own neighborhood by learning more about the trees, plants and flowers that
grow nearby. Giving kids devices that help them see nature up close, such as
microscopes and binoculars, will help to encourage their interest in the
natural world.

Set a Good Example by Embracing Alternative
Energy

The best way
to teach your kids to embrace conservation is to set a good example in your
daily life. One way to do this is to use low impact, alternative technologies
whenever possible. For example, switching your home to solar energy is an
economical and environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional power
sources.

If you can’t
go completely solar, perhaps you can install solar panels with the help of a Utah solar
company or one in
your area to provide some of your power. This shows your children that you care
about making sustainable choices. It’s also a good way to save money on your
power bills. You might also consider switching to a hybrid or electric vehicle.

Emphasize the Importance of Recycling and
Reducing Waste

Most
households engage in recycling to some degree or another. Rather than merely
teaching children which bin to throw items into, make sure they understand the
reasons for this. Take a trip to the nearest landfill or recycling center.
Point out the huge piles of garbage and explain how excessive trash contributes to pollution and other environmental problems.

Help kids
understand that, in addition to recycling, it’s important to reduce waste as
much as possible. You can illustrate this by bringing your own bags to the
grocery store, recycling jars and containers and purchasing products that
minimize waste.

Discuss the Issue of Climate Change

As weather
patterns become more extreme and unpredictable, there are ample opportunities
to discuss climate change with kids. Don’t do this in a way that scares them.
Rather, simply point out how the weather is changing due to human activities
such as pollution and carbon emissions.

You can let
them know that extreme temperatures and powerful storms such as hurricanes and
tornadoes are now more common due to these practices. Point out that the only
way to control this is to conserve and to switch to more sustainable types of
energy.

Most children
are glad to embrace conservation and sustainability once they understand the
importance of these principles. Look for ways to introduce your kids to these
ideas. Talk to them about it, watch documentaries with them and take them on
relevant field trips. This will help them grow up to be responsible adults who
appreciate the value of treading gently on the planet.

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Written by Anica Oaks

Anica is a professional content and copywriter from San Francisco, California. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she's used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty.